After Being Reborn as the Chief Eunuch Chapter 35

Chapter 35

The estate in the outskirts of the capital wasn’t too far from the imperial city—just a two-hour carriage ride.

Ji Qingzhou and his group set out after lunch. If all went smoothly, they would return to the palace before sunset.

But things didn’t go as planned…

Halfway through the journey, the skies suddenly darkened. Not long after, thunder roared and lightning flashed, and a torrential rain poured down.

Though it was already the end of the fifth lunar month and summer had begun, the weather was still unpredictable. No one had expected the clear skies at departure to shift so quickly, so no one had brought anything to shield themselves from the rain.

The storm arrived in a flash, trapping everyone along the road.

Gusts of wind drove the rain into the carriage through the windows. The young emperor trembled in fear, curling up motionlessly in Ji Qingzhou’s arms.

Afraid the young emperor would get wet, Ji Qingzhou used his own back to shield him from the rain, even taking off his outer robe to wrap around the boy. But the rain outside was too heavy, and the carriage shook violently in the storm. The horses grew agitated and restless. It was clear they couldn’t go on like this.

“Turn back. I remember we passed a house not long ago—it shouldn’t be far,” Li Zhan said. He personally took the reins outside the carriage and gave instructions to Dong Dong.

Dong Dong, still mounted, relayed the orders to the guards. Everyone turned around and rode back into the storm.

Fortunately, Li Zhan’s memory served him well. After traveling a short distance in the rain, they spotted a house up ahead. Dong Dong rode forward and knocked on the door, but finding no one home, he signaled everyone to take shelter inside.

Ji Qingzhou carried the young emperor into the house under the downpour. By then, he was thoroughly soaked.

He checked the young emperor, finding that while he had gotten a bit wet, most of his body was still dry. Only then did Ji Qingzhou feel reassured.

“This must be a temporary dwelling for a local hunter. Looks like it’s usually unoccupied,” Li Zhan said, brushing his hand across the table. A layer of dust stuck to his fingers. He took out a handkerchief to wipe them clean and then told Dong Dong, “See if there’s any firewood. Start a fire and boil some hot water.”

Dong Dong quickly got to work. Meanwhile, Li Zhan ordered someone to place a silver ingot on the table.

The house had only three rooms. The main hall faced south and was connected to a bedroom. East of the main hall, outside, was another room filled with miscellaneous items. The guards, understanding the situation, took shelter in the eastern room and left the main hall to the others.

“The rain is so heavy… Do you think the house might collapse?” the young emperor asked anxiously.

Ji Qingzhou wrung out the rainwater from his clothes while answering, “It shouldn’t collapse, but if the rain keeps up, water might start flooding in.”

“Achoo!” Ji Qingzhou suddenly sneezed. After wringing out his outer robe, he draped it over a chair. Now, he was left wearing only his inner clothes, which were completely soaked, clinging to him and outlining his slender, youthful figure in a faintly visible silhouette.

Li Zhan’s gaze lingered on the youth for a moment. Then, seeing Dong Dong walk in, he instructed, “See if there are any clean clothes.”

“Yes.” Dong Dong stepped into the bedroom next door but found only a single old cabinet containing nothing but a tattered blanket. It seemed the hunter didn’t come often and had left nothing behind.

“There’s just this blanket…” Dong Dong lifted it and gave it a shake, sending up a cloud of dust. It was too old and dirty to use, so he tossed it aside.

Luckily, the storage room still had some charcoal and firewood. Dong Dong instructed the others to fetch braziers, and they lit two fires—one in each room. Everyone stripped down to warm their clothes by the fire, carefully managing the flames so they wouldn’t set the house ablaze.

Ji Qingzhou held the young emperor’s robe near the fire to dry, but he couldn’t stop himself from sneezing again.

Although the month was usually warm, the sudden downpour brought a chill. Ji Qingzhou’s wet clothes clung to his body, and the cold wind blowing through the door made him feel frozen to the bone.

Li Zhan, bare-chested, glanced at Ji Qingzhou and said, “Take off your wet clothes. Otherwise, you’ll catch a cold.”

Ji Qingzhou initially felt it inappropriate to undress in front of the young emperor and the Regent, but since Li Zhan had spoken, he didn’t hesitate. He took off his inner garments, leaving only his underpants.

His skin was fair, and though he lacked muscle, his slim waist and abdomen formed graceful lines, bearing the unique beauty of youth. Dong Dong, who had been helping Li Zhan dry his clothes by the fire, caught a glimpse of Ji Qingzhou and immediately looked away in embarrassment. Avoiding suspicion, he placed Li Zhan’s clothes on a chair and quickly retreated to the room where the guards were gathered.

Now, only Ji Qingzhou, Li Zhan, and the young emperor—who was curiously poking at the brazier with a wooden stick—remained in the main hall.

“I wonder how long this rain will last,” Li Zhan said, frowning slightly as he looked at the gloomy sky outside.

Ji Qingzhou turned toward him, his gaze instinctively sweeping over Li Zhan’s form, and replied, “If it stops before nightfall, we should still be able to make it back to the palace.”

Hearing this, the young emperor looked up at Ji Qingzhou and asked, “What if it doesn’t stop?”

“Then… we’ll have to spend the night here,” Ji Qingzhou said.

The young emperor also seemed to find the place rather shabby. Hearing they might need to stay, he looked dejected and burrowed into Ji Qingzhou’s arms. But as soon as he did, he noticed something odd. Ji Qingzhou was usually dressed properly, but now his body felt bare. The young emperor rubbed against him and discovered the smooth, unfamiliar texture.

“Heehee… Ji Gonggong, your skin is so smooth,” the young emperor giggled, reaching out to touch Ji Qingzhou’s body.

Ji Qingzhou was flustered by the little one’s antics. He reached out to stop him but didn’t dare use too much force in case he accidentally hurt the child.

In that brief moment of distraction, the young emperor made a curious discovery.

He pointed at a certain part of Ji Qingzhou’s chest, then lifted his own shirt to look, and asked innocently, “I have those too… but not as big as yours…”

Ji Qingzhou: …

He finally understood the meaning of “children speak without filter.”

The young emperor had been protected too well all his life. He was always bathed and dressed by attendants, so he rarely had the chance to see anyone else’s body. At four or five years old, he was at the age when children naturally grew curious about the human body. Once something piqued his interest, he was determined to investigate.

After examining Ji Qingzhou’s body and comparing it to his own, he turned to examine Li Zhan.

Li Zhan had trained in martial arts, so compared to Ji Qingzhou, his body was more muscular and firm, with darker skin. Though not as fair as Ji Qingzhou, the toned body wrapped in tanned skin carried the mature strength and appeal of a grown man.

The young emperor didn’t understand any of that, but Ji Qingzhou, having snuck a glance, couldn’t help feeling a little envious.

Li Zhan was utterly helpless in the face of the young emperor’s mischief. Finally, when the child reached out to poke him, Li Zhan grabbed his wrist.

“Can’t I touch it?” the young emperor asked innocently.

“No,” Li Zhan replied with a straight face.

The young emperor looked aggrieved and turned to Ji Qingzhou. “Why won’t Imperial Uncle let me?”

Ji Qingzhou had still felt awkward a moment ago, but seeing the look on Li Zhan’s face—as if he wanted to strangle someone—he couldn’t help but laugh.

“Hahaha…” The young emperor, hearing Ji Qingzhou’s laugh, burst out laughing as well.

Li Zhan swept his gaze across the two of them, completely speechless.

The guards in the east room paused when they heard the laughter from the main room. They exchanged glances and smiled meaningfully.

The rain continued to pour the entire afternoon, showing no sign of stopping.

Fortunately, the drainage outside the house was decent, so the rainwater didn’t flood inside.

But as the sky darkened, it became clear that returning to the palace was unlikely.

First, the rain hadn’t stopped. Second, after such heavy rain, the roads could be treacherous, and traveling at night would be dangerous.

The fire in the brazier had burned out. Dong Dong considered chopping the table and chairs for firewood, but Li Zhan stopped him.

Ji Qingzhou sat with the young emperor in his arms, dozing off. As he began to slump over, Li Zhan quickly reached out and caught him.

Then Li Zhan’s brow furrowed. He reached out to touch Ji Qingzhou’s forehead—and his expression changed immediately.

The youth’s forehead was burning hot, yet he remained unconscious in Li Zhan’s arms.

“Dong Dong…” Li Zhan called softly, then said, “Go clean up the inner room. He has a fever.”

Dong Dong immediately summoned two guards to help tidy up the bedroom. But the bed inside only had a straw mat—no sheets or bedding at all. In the end, Dong Dong laid out his own clothes to make do.

He then took the young emperor from Li Zhan, who carried the feverish Ji Qingzhou in his arms and laid him on the bed. A guard brought Ji Qingzhou’s clothes, but they were still damp to the touch.

All afternoon, Ji Qingzhou had only focused on drying the young emperor’s clothes, neglecting his own entirely.

Li Zhan frowned, then took off his own outer robe and draped it over Ji Qingzhou.

“What now?” Dong Dong asked. “We’ve got no food, no medicine, not even clean water.”

Li Zhan placed a hand on the youth’s forehead again and said, “Find some cold water and bring a cloth. He can’t keep burning like this.”

Dong Dong went to do just that.

Li Zhan sat by the bed, called Ji Qingzhou’s name a few times. Ji Qingzhou barely opened his eyes, unfocused and dazed—it was clear he wasn’t lucid. Only then did Li Zhan recall that Ji Qingzhou had already looked unwell before they left the palace. After being drenched in the rain, his condition had worsened. It was illness piling onto illness.

“I’ll take over, Wang Ye,” Dong Dong said, placing a cold cloth on Ji Qingzhou’s forehead and preparing to lift the robe to wipe him down. Li Zhan frowned and said, “I’ll do it.”

Dong Dong handed him the cloth, then grabbed one of the guards’ cloaks, laid it on the other side of the bed, and placed the sleeping young emperor there before stepping out.

Li Zhan, finding the cloth too cold, asked for a basin of warm water and personally began wiping Ji Qingzhou down to lower his fever.

By the time night fell, Ji Qingzhou’s fever had gone down significantly. Li Zhan finally let out a small sigh of relief.

The young emperor fussed a bit that night, partly from hunger.

Eventually, after much coaxing from Li Zhan, he went back to sleep, still feeling aggrieved.

Ji Qingzhou’s illness had come without warning. The night before, he had a nightmare and woke in a cold sweat. Stepping outside, he caught a chill in the wind. If it weren’t for today’s rain, it wouldn’t have been so serious. But getting drenched midway through the journey had turned a mild illness into a raging fever.

In his muddled state, Ji Qingzhou felt like he was burning up inside. But faint waves of coolness occasionally washed over him, light and gentle, easing the fiery sensation throughout his body.

By the second half of the night, his fever had dropped considerably. In his hazy consciousness, he began to feel cold again.

The room was pitch dark; nothing could be seen. When he reached out to feel around, he didn’t touch a blanket but instead brushed against a body radiating warmth. Ji Qingzhou wasn’t fully conscious yet—guided purely by instinct, he snuggled toward that warm body, his hands groping around aimlessly over it.

The owner of the body stiffened at first but didn’t push him away.

Eventually, Ji Qingzhou wrapped himself around that warmth like an octopus and drifted off to sleep with a sense of deep contentment.

Throughout the night, the person he clung to attempted several times to remove the youth’s hands and feet, only for Ji Qingzhou to latch on even more tightly in response. In the end, the person gave up resisting, sighed, and instead took the initiative to pull the youth into their arms…

Ji Qingzhou woke up early the next morning—his stomach had rumbled him awake.

After a night of fever, his temperature had mostly come down, but now his belly was growling incessantly, so loud it felt like his stomach was sticking to his spine. His mouth, too, was unbearably dry from having run a fever all night—it felt like smoke would start coming out at any moment.

He picked up the clothes drying by the bed and dressed. Only then did he notice that he’d been covered with Li Zhan’s outer robe.

Hurriedly, Ji Qingzhou smoothed out the robe and folded it neatly, then peeked his head out of the inner room and glanced outside…

“You’re up? Come eat something, we’ll be leaving soon,” Li Zhan said as he looked toward the youth.

Li Zhan was seated beside the young emperor, feeding him. He had taken off his outer robe and was only in his inner clothes.

Ji Qingzhou quickly stepped forward to help Li Zhan put the robe back on before turning to glance at the steaming buns on the table. The rain had stopped in the latter half of the night, and before dawn, Dong Dong had someone ride to a nearby village to bring back some food.

The young emperor was eating with great satisfaction. He picked up a bun and handed it to Ji Qingzhou, only to yelp in pain from the heat.

Ji Qingzhou quickly accepted the bun from him and used his other hand to squeeze the young emperor’s ear gently, helping to cool him down.

“You were already sick early yesterday, weren’t you?” Li Zhan looked up and asked Ji Qingzhou.

Just as Ji Qingzhou was about to bite into the bun, he paused, looking completely innocent at the question.

Li Zhan saw that his complexion had improved decently, so he waved him off, signaling for him to eat first.

Only then did Ji Qingzhou start wolfing down the buns—two or three bites per bun—and soon he had eaten several in a row, so full he began hiccuping.

“Um… about last night…” Ji Qingzhou began, thinking of what had happened, looking toward Li Zhan as if wanting to ask.

Li Zhan’s expression suddenly turned a bit awkward. He picked up another bun and shoved it into Ji Qingzhou’s hand, saying, “Don’t ask.”

With that, Li Zhan stood and walked out, immediately ordering everyone to prepare for departure.

Holding the bun, Ji Qingzhou wanted to eat it but hesitated. He instinctively glanced down at his lower belly… then quietly put the bun down.

“Who took care of me last night?” Ji Qingzhou asked Dong Dong during a spare moment. “I was burning up so badly I barely remember anything.”

Still, he knew someone must’ve looked after him—otherwise, his fever couldn’t have subsided so quickly.

Dong Dong gave him a meaningful smile and said, “Feeling clearer in the head now, Young Master Ji?”

“Yes, much better.” Ji Qingzhou noticed he hadn’t answered and pressed, “Last night, who was it…”

From a distance, Dong Dong caught sight of Li Zhan shooting him a look. That glance was cold and filled with warning. Dong Dong quickly cut in, “I’ve got to go get the carriage and horses ready. Don’t want to delay the trip. It’s good that you’re well again, Young Master Ji.”

With that, he hurried off, leaving Ji Qingzhou staring at his retreating back in confusion.

On the way back to the palace, Li Zhan didn’t ride in the carriage with them. He chose to ride a horse by himself.

Ji Qingzhou lifted the carriage curtain a few times to peek outside, but each time, Li Zhan avoided his gaze. The whole thing felt awkward.

Ji Qingzhou had no idea why and started to wonder: Could it be that I took over the bed while I had a fever, leaving His Highness with nowhere to sleep, and now he’s upset?

Thinking that made Ji Qingzhou feel a bit guilty. He didn’t dare mention anything about last night again.

Once they were back in the palace, Dong Dong received instructions from Li Zhan to summon an imperial physician for Ji Qingzhou.

But Ji Qingzhou, feeling nervous, insisted on going to the Imperial Physician Courtyard himself rather than letting the doctor come to him. Dong Dong didn’t press the issue.

After getting checked out by the physician, Ji Qingzhou felt like a heavy stone had settled in his chest. He needed to confirm the matter as soon as possible—otherwise, he probably wouldn’t be able to sleep in peace.

He didn’t know many people in the palace, and even fewer he could truly trust.

After thinking it over, Ji Qingzhou decided he needed to seek help from Tu Dayou. After all, Tu Dayou was the only person he had confided in back then.

After bathing and changing into fresh clothes, Ji Qingzhou hurried over to the small courtyard.

Tu Dayou had duties at court today. He had just changed into his court robes and was preparing to head out when he saw Ji Qingzhou arrive—he was a little surprised.

“You don’t look too well,” Tu Dayou remarked. “Are you sick?”

“Caught a cold,” Ji Qingzhou sniffled and asked, “Do you know any physicians you’re close with?”

Tu Dayou replied, “Plenty. I know several folks in the Imperial Physician Courtyard. You don’t have to run around—I’ll arrange someone to come look at you.”

“No…” Ji Qingzhou hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, “It needs to be someone very close.”

Tu Dayou was taken aback and asked, “How close are we talking?”

“Someone I could entrust my life with,” Ji Qingzhou said.

Tu Dayou’s expression changed sharply. He lowered his voice and asked, “What happened? Tell me the truth.”

“I’m not sure either…” Ji Qingzhou lightly pressed his hand against his lower abdomen, his expression filled with unease.

“No way?” Tu Dayou stared at Ji Qingzhou’s gesture and face for a moment, then finally understood what he meant. He seemed a bit overwhelmed and said, “That’s impossible!”

“I hope it is impossible, which is why I want to confirm it with an imperial physician,” Ji Qingzhou replied.

Tu Dayou took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, then said, “You can’t go to the Imperial Physician Courtyard. There are many acquaintances there, but without a bond of life and death, you can’t risk it. This is a serious matter — if word gets out, your life might be in danger.”

Hearing this, Ji Qingzhou grew even more uneasy.

“On the fifteenth of every month, attendants of rank can take leave to visit their families outside the palace. You could ask Wang Ye for leave, and outside the palace I know a physician who can take a look at you,” Tu Dayou explained. “Today is already the first day of the sixth month; waiting half a month shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

“Yes… it’s just a visit… but our Ji family has already…” Ji Qingzhou’s words trailed off as he suddenly recalled something, then nodded and said, “I understand. If that happens…”

Tu Dayou pressed a hand on Ji Qingzhou’s shoulder and said seriously, “Don’t panic. Even if things go badly, there will be a way.”

Hearing that, Ji Qingzhou nodded, finally feeling a bit relieved.

After leaving the small courtyard, Ji Qingzhou personally went to the imperial pharmacy to get some medicine for his cold and then returned to Yinghui Pavilion.

Xiao Shan personally prepared the medicine for Ji Qingzhou. Ji Qingzhou held the medicine for wind-cold with a look of melancholy. Xiao Shan thought he was simply sick and uncomfortable, so he went to the small kitchen and made some medicinal porridge to help nourish him.

Ji Qingzhou squatted by the corridor, watching Xiao Shan’s busy back, feeling a flood of emotions.

If he hadn’t feared upsetting Xiao Shan, he might have asked him about it. After all, Xiao Shan had been through similar experiences and probably understood more than him. But Ji Qingzhou couldn’t bring himself to ask. Although Xiao Shan never mentioned that matter since returning, Ji Qingzhou knew he hadn’t truly let it go.

Whether it was He Man or that child who had died young…

Ji Qingzhou sighed, only hoping that when the half month was up, it would turn out to be a false alarm.

He didn’t dare to imagine what he would do if the outcome wasn’t what he wished…

Although Tu Dayou reassured him that everything would be fine, Ji Qingzhou knew this was no simple matter.

For nearly half a month after, Ji Qingzhou was restless every day, like an ant on a hot pan. Fortunately, he had been careful with his diet during these days and hadn’t been provoked by anything, so he hadn’t vomited much.

On June 13th, Ji Qingzhou picked a time when Li Zhan seemed to be in a good mood and brought up the matter of leaving the palace to visit family.

“Visit family?” Li Zhan looked at the youth with a hint of doubt.

Ji Qingzhou avoided Li Zhan’s gaze and said, “My youngest sister was sent to become a government courtesan at the Jiao Fang Department after the Ji family was disgraced. June 14th is her sixteenth birthday, and I want to secretly see her.”

Li Zhan pondered for a moment, then said, “There’s no need to see her secretly. If you want to see her, just go.”

By regulation, Ji Qingzhou was a disgraced person and forbidden from seeing the Ji family’s young lady.

“Thank you, Wang Ye, for making this possible,” Ji Qingzhou said gratefully.

Although he used visiting his sister as an excuse, it wasn’t entirely a lie.

Lately, the thought had been in his mind. He did want to see her. He didn’t know the rules of the Dayu Dynasty’s Jiao Fang Department, but thinking of the Ji family’s young lady suffering in that place at such a young age stirred his compassion.

“Since the 14th is her birthday, go visit her then. You don’t have to wait until the 15th,” Li Zhan said.

Ji Qingzhou’s heart stirred at these words. He lifted his robe and bowed deeply to Li Zhan.

Before Ji Qingzhou could rise, Li Zhan added, “You need a waist token to enter the Jiao Fang Department. It’s not appropriate for you to carry Yinghui Pavilion’s token… You probably haven’t been there before. Just in case, have Qin Zheng go with you tomorrow.”

Ji Qingzhou’s expression changed; inwardly he cursed his bad luck. He was going out on official business, so having Qin Zheng follow him complicated things.

“Wang Ye… I…” Ji Qingzhou started to refuse but couldn’t think of a good excuse.

If he resisted too much, it might arouse Li Zhan’s suspicion, making him think Ji Qingzhou planned to do something shameful outside the palace.

Of course, secretly visiting a doctor was indeed something he wanted to hide…

“If you don’t want Qin Zheng to come, then forget it,” Li Zhan said again.

Hearing this, Ji Qingzhou finally relaxed and thanked Li Zhan before getting up to take his leave.

But just as he pushed open the door, Li Zhan’s voice came softly from behind, “Tomorrow is my day off. I happen to want to visit the Jiao Fang Department too, so I’ll accompany you.”

Ji Qingzhou: …

Is he really planning to visit a brothel with me???

Love the drama and palace machinations? Buy Ciacia a coffee on Kofi to keep the intrigue brewing.

Tired of cliffhangers? The Zhouzhou Tier unlocks up to 5 chapters early, letting you peek behind the golden screens before the rest of the court.